Improvement in rock-drilling machines



`E. S. WINCHESTER.

Rock-Drilling Machines.

N0.l58,009. Patented.ec.22,874. @l

, ,Tg2 @2? n iiimllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. WINOHESTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROCK-DRILLING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,009, dated December 22, 1874; application filed December 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. WrNcHEs- TER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Rock-Drilling Machines, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to bring the action of the tool at all times under the perfect control of the operator in a more simple and effective manner than heretofore and it consists in connecting the feed-screw by intermediate mechanism with a pinion and spindle, which communicate a rotary motion to the piston and drilling-tool 5 and in the use of elastic cushions to relieve the feed-screw from concussion.

My improvements relate to that class of drilling-machines in which the drilling-tool, having both a striking and a rotary motion, is attached to the end of apiston-'rod mounted in a cylinder, which latter is moved forward or backward on slides by means of a screw, to advanceor withdraw the tool in the course of its work.

Figure l represents a rear-end view of a drill provided with my improvements; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the nut through which the feed-screw passes.

A represents the frame or carriage, in which the cylinder B is mounted in such manner as to slide freely forward and backward, as usual. To the rear head or 'end a of the cylinder a plate, c, is firmly secured by means of posts d, as shown in Fig. 2. O represents the feedscrew,'by which the cylinder is moved forward and back in the frame, the screw having its end mounted in the plate c, and provided with collars e, which allow it to rotate, but prevent it from movingv endwise in the plate. The screw passes through a` stationary nut, D, secured to the frame or carriage, as shown in Fig. 2, so that as the screw is turned it moves the cylinder in the frame, the screw moving with the cylinder, so that it does not extend out in rear of the cylinder when the latter is advancing. The rear end of the screw, outside of the plate c, is provided with a pinion, g, which gears into a second pinion, h. which in turns gears into a third pinion, i. The pinion h is supported on a stud on the plate c,

while the pinion i. is supported by a journal formed upon its side and extending through the center of the plate c, in line with the axis ofthe cylinder. Centrally through the pinion c' I make a square opening, in which I mount a sliding rod, F, having a hand-crank on its outer end, as shown in Fig. 2. In the rear head or end of the cylinder I mount a central spindle or rod, Gr, provided with collars to hold it from moving endwise, and having its inner end provided with an angular head, K, which enters a corresponding hole made lengthwise in the piston L, so that while the piston slides on the spindle itmay be given a rotary motion by turning the spindle. In the outer end of the spindle G, the axis of which coincides with that of the pinion t', there is a square hole corresponding to that in the pinion, so that by pushing the rod F inward until it enters the end of the spindle the crank is caused to turn both the pinion t and the spindle, so as to give motion to the feed-screw, and at the same time rotate the piston, and thereby the drilling-tool, which is-connected with the piston-rod, as usual. Thus, it will be seen, the turning of the handcrank serves the two purposes of rotating the drill and advancing or retraetin g the cylinder.

When the cylinder is to be drawn back in order to withdraw the tool, or when for any other reason it is desirable to move the cylinder without rotating the tool, the rod F is drawn outward until its end is disengaged from the spindle G, when the spindle will be permitted to remain at rest, while the feeding mechanism continues to operate. The nut D, through which the feed-screw passes, is mounted in the forked end or head of a bolt, M, which passes out through the journal or trunnion of the frame, asl shown in Fig. 2, the nut being allowed a slight amount of playlaterally'in order that it may accommodate itself to any slight inaccuracy in the adjustment of the screw, and being held in place by anges formed ou its edges, as shown in-Fig. 3. The motion of the piston to and fro causes a strong shock or concussion, which, were no provision made to prevent, would be liable to fracture the feed-screw. I therefore introduce between the screw and the plate c elastic cushions, of rubber or other suitable material, for the purpose of deadening the shock and preventing its transmission to the screw. On the outer side of the plate c the pinion g is provided With an annular fla-nge on its side, which enters a corresponding groove made in the plate and containing the elastic material, as shown at o, Fig. 2. 0n the-inside of the plate c I place loosely around the screw a washer, p, which is provided with a flange, which enters a groove formed in a solid or rigid collar on the screw, in which latter the elastic material is placed, as shown. The precise construction of these parts is not, however, material, the only requisite being that the cushion shall be interposed between the screw and the cylinder.

It is obvious that in constructing the inachine the details may be varied-that, for eX- ample, the form of the rod F may be changed, the form of the spindle varied, and the intermediate pinion h omitted, and the pinions g and z' geared directly into each other.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- HSSANDQ 1. In combination with the sliding cylinder B and the piston L, the spindle G, rod F, pinions g and vl with or without the intermediate pinion h, screw-rod G,'and Xed nut F, constructed and arranged substantially as shown EDWARD S. WINCHESTER.

Witnesses:

C. 0. L. DILLAWAY, EARL VAUGHAN. 

